Woodleaf Hotel · Photo: Rifflebox · CC BY-SA 4.0Clipper Mills gets about 82 inches of snow a winter, more than 95% of U.S. towns
In July the day’s top temperature is typically 87°. Precipitation is plentiful here, more than falls on almost every U.S. town. Since 1901–2000, the year has warmed by 1.2°, most of all in January. Tender plants can go out after about May 4; in half of years the first frost comes by October 30.
A year in Clipper Mills at a glance
Each month’s typical high and low, and what it brings.
What stands out about Clipper Mills’ climate
Compared with towns across the U.S., with Clipper Mills’ place in California beside it.
What a year in Clipper Mills feels like
Typical highs and lows by season and by month, from NOAA’s 30-year normals.
About 174 frost-free days a year
In half of years the last 32° night comes by May 4 and the first by October 30. Frost and day counts come from NOAA’s station at Strawberry Valley, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher.
The 2023 USDA map puts Clipper Mills’ center in zone 9a: the coldest night of a typical winter, averaged over 1991–2020, reaches about 20°. Plant labels use the zone; frost dates tell you when to plant.
Freezing nights by month
Average nights at or below 32°
90° days by month
Average days at 90° or more
About 82 inches of snow a winter
Snow, measured at Strawberry Valley, CA, is heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month. Precipitation (rain plus melted snow) adds up to 72 inches a year; December is the wettest month and July the driest. Rain or snow falls on about 85 days a year.
Rain + melted snow by month
Inches of water
Snowfall by month
Inches of snow
Heating and cooling a home in Clipper Mills
93% of the work is heating, so the furnace matters far more than the air conditioner. Months averaging under 55° run from November through April.
Degree days add up how far each day’s average falls below (heating) or rises above (cooling) 65° over a year. NOAA normals at Strawberry Valley, CA.
Living with Clipper Mills’ climate
What the numbers mean for a garden, a free afternoon and a bad-weather day.
174 frost-free days in zone 9a. The last frost comes by May 4 in half of years, so many gardeners wait a week or two past that to set out tomatoes. The first fall frost comes by Oct 30.
Months with highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more: May, June, September and October.
Parks & trails →Of the yearly building losses FEMA expects in Clipper Mills from natural hazards, wildfire is the largest share (65%); heat waves, cold waves, winter storms and ice storms together are 1%. Normals are averages; the hazards page covers the extremes.
Natural hazards →Clipper Mills and similar climates
TownRatings has no climate map of the towns around Clipper Mills yet.
Climates most like Clipper Mills’, farther away
TownRatings’ own comparison of NOAA 1991–2020 normals, not a NOAA product: places of 5,000+ at least 150 miles away, one per state, closest on January low, July high, precipitation and snow.
| Town | Jan. low | July high | Precip. | Snow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Clipper Mills, CA | 34° | 87° | 72" | 82" |
| Randolph Town, MA | 20° | 83° | 51" | 70" |
| Crossville, TN | 27° | 84° | 59" | 14" |
| Elkins, WV | 21° | 82° | 50" | 69" |
| Simsbury, CT | 18° | 85° | 51" | 52" |
Temperatures and precipitation come from NOAA’s 5 km grid; snow and day counts from the stations named on this page.
Warmer than it used to be
The last 30 years in Clipper Mills averaged 1.2° warmer than the 1900s. The biggest change is in January (+2.2°).
A smaller shift than in 66% of U.S. towns.
Change by month
The two periods overlap (1991–2000 is in both), which makes the gap a little smaller than it would be between separate periods.
How Clipper Mills compares
Against 12,954 U.S. towns of 2,500 or more (one per 5 km climate cell), with Clipper Mills’ place among California’s.
Clipper Mills weather by month
Highs, lows and precipitation from NOAA’s grid at Clipper Mills’ center; snow, wet days and snow on the ground from Strawberry Valley, CA. 1991–2020 normals.
| Month | High | Low | Rain + melt | Snow | Wet days | Snow on ground | 30-yr range |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 51° | 34° | 13.0" | 17.7" | 13 | 14 | 37° – 51° |
| February | 52° | 34° | 12.0" | 19.4" | 12 | 12 | 35° – 51° |
| March | 56° | 36° | 10.9" | 17.1" | 12 | 10 | 38° – 54° |
| April | 61° | 39° | 5.8" | 8.1" | 9 | 5 | 43° – 55° |
| May | 70° | 45° | 3.4" | 0.6" | 7 | 0 | 47° – 66° |
| June | 79° | 52° | 1.1" | 0.0" | 3 | 0 | 60° – 71° |
| July | 87° | 58° | 0.0" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 76° |
| August | 86° | 57° | 0.2" | 0.0" | 1 | 0 | 68° – 75° |
| September | 82° | 53° | 0.5" | 0.0" | 2 | 0 | 63° – 71° |
| October | 71° | 46° | 3.7" | 0.5" | 5 | 0 | 54° – 65° |
| November | 57° | 38° | 7.4" | 3.5" | 9 | 2 | 38° – 54° |
| December | 49° | 33° | 14.4" | 15.1" | 12 | 10 | 38° – 47° |
| Year | 67° | 44° | 72.2" | 82.0" | 85 | 54 |
How much a month can swing
A normal is an average. May swings the most: from 1991 to 2020 its average ranged from 47° to 66°. August is the most reliable, staying within 7°.
Where Clipper Mills’ numbers come from
Normals are 30-year averages, not a forecast. How TownRatings reads climate data →
- Temperatures and precipitation: NOAA’s gridded 1991–2020 normals for the 5 km cell at Clipper Mills’ center.
- Snow: Strawberry Valley, CA.
- Frost, freezing nights, 90° and 100° days, heating and cooling: Strawberry Valley, CA, 4 miles from the town’s center, 330 ft higher; the nearest station that passes our checks for distance, height and agreement with the grid.
- Growing zone: USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, 2023. USDA Agricultural Research Service and PRISM Group, Oregon State University, prism.oregonstate.edu/phzm, accessed 8 Oct 2026.
- Then and now: NOAA’s gridded normals for 1901–2000 at the same cell.
- Storms and extremes: FEMA National Risk Index (expected annual losses to buildings).
Common questions about Clipper Mills’ climate
What is the weather like in Clipper Mills?
A typical July afternoon reaches 87°, a January night drops to 34°, and about 82 inches of snow falls in a normal winter. Milder January nights than 79% of U.S. towns; hotter July afternoons than 60% of U.S. towns.
How cold does it get in Clipper Mills in winter?
December nights average 33°. About 104 nights a year reach 32° or below. In the coldest December of the last 30 years the month averaged 38°.
How much snow does Clipper Mills get?
About 82 inches in a normal winter at Strawberry Valley, CA, heaviest from January through February, about 19 inches a month, with snow on the ground about 54 days a year.
How hot does it get in Clipper Mills?
July, with a typical high of 87° and a low of 58°. About 15 days a year reach 90° (Strawberry Valley, CA).
When is the first and last frost in Clipper Mills?
In half of years the last spring frost (32°) comes by May 4 and the first fall frost by October 30, about 174 frost-free days, at Strawberry Valley, CA.
What growing zone is Clipper Mills in?
Zone 9a on the 2023 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map: the coldest night of a typical winter reaches about 20°.
What is the best time of year to visit Clipper Mills?
By one simple rule (highs of 62–84° and lows of 40° or more), May, June, September and October. The rule is ours, not NOAA’s; the month table has the numbers to judge by.
Is Clipper Mills getting warmer?
Yes: 1991–2020 averaged 1.2° warmer than 1901–2000 on NOAA’s grid. A smaller shift than 66% of U.S. towns.
Neighbors talk weather
Gardens, snow, and the best days of the year in Clipper Mills.
Source: NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020 and 1901–2000; USDA/PRISM 2023 hardiness zones; FEMA National Risk Index. Today’s forecast: National Weather Service.